What is Project of Heart?

Project of Heart” is an inquiry based, hands-on, collaborative, inter-generational, artistic journey of seeking truth about the history of Aboriginal people in Canada. Its purpose is to:

Examine the history and legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada and to seek the truth about that history, leading to the acknowledgement of the extent of loss to former students, their families and communities

Commemorate the lives of the thousands of Indigenous children who died as a result of the residential school experience.

Call Canadians to action, through social justice endeavors, to change our present and future history collectively

Project of Heart acknowledges the families and communities to whom those children belonged. It was originally designed to bring awareness both to the settler community and communities of new Canadians. Project of Heart has evolved, through community ownership of the project itself, to educate all Canadians about the history and legacy of this crime and tragedy.
In acknowledging the loss suffered by Aboriginal children, families and communities through the Indian Residential School experience, we also gain an understanding of the strength, wisdom and resilience of the traditional peoples of this land. Project of Heart seeks to:

expand the opportunities available for the wisdom of Aboriginal Elders to be heard, recognized and honored

change attitudes and behaviors – hearts and minds – as Elders give voice to language, values, traditions and teachings that were suppressed by residential schooling

inspire the building of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada based on mutual understanding, respect and collective action to create a different future